Many recent critical reforms in state school finance systems have been catalyzed by the courthouse, not the statehouse. Advocates for equity-focused school finance reforms often consider legal action as the best path to significant policy changes. This brief discusses state-level lawsuits on adequacy and equity grounds and their outcomes.

This brief report presents preliminary data on the attitudes of judges on the sentencing of offenders with High Functioning Autism (HFA). Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with twenty-one California Superior Court Judges. Interviews were qualitatively coded and constant comparative analysis was utilized. Findings revealed that…

The purpose of this analysis is to provide systematic and up-to-date data on the frequency of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2012) court decisions on a state-by-state basis, not only overall, but in relation to special education enrollments. This empirical analysis revealed notable differences among state rankings in the…

Beginning in the early 1970s, plaintiffs initiated a veritable tidal wave of litigation over financing public education in states with unequal funding for students in poor school systems. In the only case on school finance to reach the United States Supreme Court, "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" (1973), the…

Equity issues in public school finance have been discussed in terms of three waves. The first wave was a challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court to provide equal education to all students as a fundamental right. After a ruling against the plaintiffs in "San Antonio v Rodriguez" (1973), the fight shifted to a second wave in the state courts.…

The California Supreme Court catalyzed school finance litigation with its rulings in the "Serrano v. Priest" cases. The court's required that wealth-related spending differences essentially be eliminated, the legislation required to implement that decision, and the passage of Proposition 13's property tax limitation has resulted in…

Courts are being asked to determine the legality, according to state constitutions, of various methodologies of financing public education. The first of two articles addresses finance issues raised in five selected states during the last three years. (18 notes) (MLF)

The consequences of the 1971 California Supreme Court decision "Serrano vs. Priest," in which the court sought to level disparities in school expenditure, and of the 1978 Proposition 13 property tax limitations are examined. The book concludes that changing the way California finances schools without changing the way it governs them has…

Half the decline in California's public school spending is due to a 1971 Supreme Court ruling that required equal spending per pupil across school districts throughout the state. Enrollment increases have also contributed to the decline. (JOW)

Twenty-three-year-old Cristina Moreno traveled from Spain to California for her honeymoon in 2000. As part of her visit, she rode the Indiana Jones amusement ride at Disneyland with her new husband. On June 25, 2000, she suffered a brain injury, and she eventually died on September 1, 2000, as a result of injuries allegedly sustained while riding…

Local bookstore owners charge that the selling of best-sellers and trade books unrelated to coursework by community college bookstores violates California's education code. The decision was not based on free-speech grounds but on the language of the state code. (MSE)

Legal issues surrounding the distribution of nonsubscription newspapers are examined in this paper. The paper first discusses selected United States Supreme Court cases that pertain to the circulation of printed materials. It then explores recent state court decisions pertaining to the area of distribution law as it applies to nonsubscription…

Liability in cases involving students injured off school property generally hinges on whether districts fail to exercise due care in supervising students while on school premises. Typical activities that may occasion liability for negligence and possible defenses are listed. (MJL)

Examines the relation of the part-time classification of teachers in California to the statutory tenure system as it has been construed by the state courts in a series of cases. Available from Wm. W. Gaunt & Sons, Inc., 3011 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach, FL 35510. (Author/MLF)

Findings of a study that explored how California school reforms are initiated and revised and how differences between the judicial and legislative areas affect policymaking are presented in this document. Two themes--financial reform and retrenchment--are examined at two levels: as a case study about the politics of school finance reform and also…